WASHINGTON:Washington has approved $125 million worth of support for Pakistan's F-16warplanes, and also $670 worth of support for India's C-17 transport planes.Approval to support US-built aircraft for the two south Asian rivals wereapproved by the US State Department, and announced simultaneously by the USDefense Security Cooperation Agency. The approval for technical and logisticssupport for Pakistan's F-16s comes just days after Prime Minister Imran Khanmet with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
The potential sale will support US foreign policy and national security"by protecting US technology through the continued presence of USpersonnel that provide 24/7 end-use monitoring," the statement announcingthe Pakistan approval read. Separately, the DSCA said that India asked to buyspare parts and test equipment for their Boeing C-17 transport planes, and is seekingpersonnel training, among other things, "for an estimated cost of $670million."
"India needs this follow-on support to maintain its operational readinessand ability to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR)assistance in the region. "India will have no difficulty absorbing thissupport into its armed forces," the statement announcing the approvalread. Both statements added that the proposed sales of equipment and support"will not alter the basic military balance in the region."
Ten soldiers killed
In another development, ten Pakistani soldiers were killed by militantsyesterday in two separate incidents in the country's northwestern andsouthwestern provinces, the military said. Six soldiers patrolling near theAfghan border were killed in North Waziristan district when militants openedfire from the Afghan side, according to the military.
Separately, the army said four paramilitary troops were killed in thesouthwestern province of Balochistan during an operation against militants.Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his condolences to the families of thosekilled, and tweeted: "I salute our armed forces personnel who continue tolay down their lives fighting terrorists to keep the nation safe."
North Waziristan - once a focal point in the global war on terror - heldprovincial elections for the first time earlier this month, a key step inbringing the northwestern region into the political mainstream after years ofturmoil fuelled by militancy. Washington has long insisted the area providessafe havens to militants - including the Taleban and Al-Qaeda - an allegationIslamabad denies. Security has improved in recent years, but lower-levelattacks still occur and the area remains notorious for the availability ofcheap guns, drugs, and smuggled goods.- Agencies